These Facts About America’s Favorite Food Are Shockingly Juicy!

If you have ever attended a barbecue or picnic, chances are you have enjoyed a hot dog with all of the fixings. Whether you prefer your bun toasted or your hot dog smothered with chili or cheese, you’ve definitely enjoyed this iconic meal on a hot summer day.

You may think you know it all about this fan favorite, but these three facts will definitely catch you off guard. Grab your apron because we are grilling up some knowledge!

So Is It A … Sandwich?

It may be tempting to call the savory combination of hot dog and bun a sandwich, but it isn’t considered as such. “Limiting the hot dog’s significance by saying it’s just a sandwich category is like calling the Dalai Lama just a guy” stated Janet Rikey, president of the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council.

A hot dog’s split-top bun sets it apart, and the NHDSC states that it should be given the recognition it deserves as more than your everyday bread and butter!

Ketchup Isn’t The King Of Condiments

Although ketchup would seem like everyone’s go-to topping, mustard actually reigns, according to a 2014 nationwide survey. Seventy-one percent of Americans turn to mustard when it comes to topping their dogs.

The Origin Of The Name “Hot Dog” Is Up For Debate

Although it is uncertain where this savory dish gets its name, the Oxford English Dictionary claims that it was “probably influenced by a popular belief that the sausages contained dog meat.”

Hot dog historian and professor at Roosevelt University in Illinois, Bruce Kraig, believes that the name comes from the German immigrants who had a distinct love for frankfurters. They also made the dachshund breed of dog popular, and the name “probably began as a joke about the Germans’ small, long, thin dogs,” Kraig stated.